Gerrit Thomas Rietveld

Jesse Family, Ameide, Holland
Private Dutch Collection

Theodore M. Brown, The Work of Gerrit Rietveld:  Architect, Utrecht, 1958, p. 102-104
Daniele Baroni, The Furniture of Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, Woodbury, NY, 1977, pp. 136-137
Marijke Küper and Ida van Zijl, Gerrit Th. Rietveld, Utrecht, 1992, pp. 145-147
Peter Vöge, The Complete Rietveld Furniture, Rotterdam, 1993, pp. 82-83
Luca Dosi Delfini, The Furniture Collection, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, 2004, p. 309

Overall in very good original condition. The surface of the chair with nicks, scratches, dings and small dark discolorations as seen in the catalogue illustration. This chair includes the double dovetail joinery at the back of the seat, which dates the piece to the immediate postwar era. The depth of the screw heads and the number of nails indicate that this was made by Jacobus van der Vliet. This chair model was designed by Rietveld comprising of two joined boards at the back and seat. The back with a minute separation to the two boards, adjacent to the seat, as seen in the catalogue illustration. A superb example of this famed chair model with superb documented provenance.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Towards the end of World War II, Gerrit Rietveld took shelter with the Jesse family after having been sought by the German army at his home in Utrecht.  Nico Jesse practiced medicine in Ameide and through his passion for the arts made the acquaintance of many local artists.  As a gesture of gratitude, Rietveld built a set of eight "Zig-Zag" chairs for the family.  The construction of the chairs was executed by Jacobus van der Vliet, a local cabinetmaker, under Rietveld's direct supervision.  The two lots offered here, shown in the photograph above, are part of that original set.  These chairs are being sold with a signed affidavit from Rutger Jesse, the son of Nico Jesse, documenting their history.  Other designs by Rietveld for the Jesse family are in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum and the Centraal Museum in Utrecht.